Cancer Misdiagnosis

Cancer is a disease where abnormal cells reproduce and invade different areas of the body, traveling through the lymphatic or circulatory system. A study reported in the online journal Cancer concluded that roughly 12 percent of cancer patients in the United States are initially misdiagnosed. It was this study that estimated that 128,000 people each year suffer some degree of “harm,” ranging from having to undergo a second round of tests to consequences that are fatal.

Medical errors involving cancer cases are relatively common, usually due to missed or delayed diagnosis of the disease. Such incidents of medical malpractice can lead to serious injury and even wrongful death.

A missed or delayed diagnosis of cancer can lead to a spread of the disease, causing disfiguring surgery, unnecessary chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. One study estimated that 128,000 Americans annually are injured because of a cancer misdiagnosis, with many of them dying.